Safety device for starting-motors.



F. CONRAD. 4'SAFETY DEVICE Po STARTING'MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED APB..2, 1913. A 1,130,573. Patent-,ed Mar.2,1915.

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Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

F. CONRAD.

SAFETY DBVMJE POR STARTING MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR,2, 1913.

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:ems norman,b os 'swissvsan PENNSYLVANIA, sesiones To wnssnienousn mesmo.am iasnnssosnnmesomem, s. fconrone'rion 0F PENNSYL- operetionpi gesengines of automobiles or other motor vehicles. l

My invention has for its object to provide e device of the aboveindicated character which is simplein its operation and which.

prevents damage to the'geer Aineeliaiiisifn. of starting motors. l 4

In the ilse of a starting motor 'for a gas engine of en automobile, itis 'customary to employ :reduction -gear mechanism which operativelyoonnects'the inotoi-,to the engine fly-wheel. When the engine isoperating nn'denitsown power, the {ly-wheel rotates et,y e highperipheralA speed and en attempt tomesh a gear Wheel with the lgearteeth on .y-'wheel is practically certain to result Y. Y iii' damagetothe gear teeth.

lMy invention provides a mechanical construction which engages theflyfwheel in ad- "lance, of the connecting gear Wheel and automaticallylocks the starting mechanism.

in an inoperative position in oase the flywheel is rotating butallowsthe gear wheels to be meshed if the il "Wheel is stationary.

The details of my invention are described in. connection with theaccompanyi'iig draw- Iin sin which" igure 1 is an end view, partially inelevation and partially in section, of a portion of the engine structureof en automobile, with a starting mechanism 4attached thereto. Fig. 2 isa side View of the same, partially in elevation and partially insection. Y

For the sake ofclearness, only a portion of the engine structure isshown, the remaining structure being broken away. The crank ease isindicated at 1, the engine shaft at 2, the flywheel at 3, and gear teethformed vin the periphery of the fly-wheel at 4. The

motor 5, which is here 'shown as a dynamoelectric machine, is mounted ona bracket 6 that is attached to the cra-nk esse and is integral with acasing 7 which ineloses the "gea-r mechanism. The gear mechanismcoinprise's suitable' gear' wheels for connecting Patentes tiene, isis.

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the armature shaft to a shaft 8 upon which a pinion 9 is mounted toslide into and out of mesh with the flywheel gear teeth 4. The pinion 9has an integral collar 10 provided with a groove 11 to be engaged by thearms 12 of a yoke member 13. The yoke member 13 is attached to ashiftrod" 14 that' l is connected in any suitable manner to a pedal orlever, not shown, which isvvithingA convenient reach of the operator.The yoke member 13 is providedk with an 'firm 15 which projects towardthe ily-Wheel@ and is also'provided with a secondv arm 16 having asuitable opening 17 in which a e lindrieal rodlS is fastened by a. pin19. T e rod 18 is slidably mounted in a slotted bearing 20 that isintegral with the casing 7. A cylindrical sleeve member 21 has a bearingon the rod 18 and is provided with an arm 22 havl inga disk shapedmember 23', the surface 24 of which may be made rough or may beprovidedwith any suitable frictional material such es leather or fiber. A coilspi-ing 25 is mounted on the rod 18 and has one end attached' to the arm16 and the-other end to the sleeve.;

21. The spring 25 normally holds the arm 22 inthe against a s oulder 26on the casing 7 and the sleeve 21 against a .pin 27 on the rod 18. Thepin 27I is alined with slots 28 inthe bearing 20 and endwise movement ofthe rod 18 is thus permitted. A lever\29 has a pivotal support at 30 ina lng 31 that is integral with the casing Y. The lever 29 is provided atone end with a yolre member 32 to engage a lug 33 on the member 21, andthe opposite end of the lever is in alinement with the arm 1 5.

Assuming that thesengine'and thestarting mechanism are stationary and itis desired to start the engine, the operator presses a starting pedal toaetnete the shift rod 14p. The yoke member 13 slides the pinion 9 on theshaft S toward the flywheel 3 and at-the same time moves the rod 18endwise in .the direction of the arrow in Fig.' 2. The spring 25 movesthe sleeve member 21 in the same osition shown in Figs. 1 and 2,v

direction until the disk member 23 engages the arm i5 engages theleeer29 to rook the latter on its pivot and slide the sleeve mmber il on therod 18 away from the ywheel 3: This action insures that the disk 23 isnot in engagement with the fly-wheel ywhen in the direction of rotationuntil the arm 22 engages the arm 1.5 but, as may be seen from therelation of these parts as shown in Fig. l, this movement is relativelysmall. When the engine starts under its own power, the operator releasesthe pedal and it may be actuated byany suitable spring (not shown) toretract the shift rod 14 and, with it, the yoke member 18 and the pinion9.- The sleeve member 2]. is retracted by the pin 27 and is rotated toits normal position by the torsional force of the spring :25.

In case the operator attempts to mesh the pinion 9 withr the fly-wheelgear teeth t While the engine is running or the lijf-wheel is rotatingfrom any cause, the safety mechanism xviii eiiectna'lly prevent theengagement of gear teeth. As in the operation above ibed, the disk 23will engage the f4 iiange of: the ily-wheel before the pinion 9engagesthe gear teeth 4. The frictional engagement between the disk andthe fly-wheel will cause the disk to be carried by the iiywheel andalmost instantly rock the arm 22 on the rod 18 to take the positionindicated by dotted lines in F ig. lagainst a stop 29a which is integralwith the casing 7. Because ofthe relatively slight movement required toeffect the engagement of the disk and the tly-wheel flange, this rockingmovement takes place before the arm 15 passes the arm 22 and, as showninFig. l, the arm 22 is in the pathof the arm. 15, and further movementof the shiftable mechanism is prevented when the end ofthe arm 15engages the arm 22. The partswill be returned to their respective normalpositions as before de` scribed when the starting pedal is released .bythe operator.

At is understood that I do not limit myself to the specific detailsherein described, but I may make such changes and modifications as mayfall within the limits of the append ed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, two gear wheels, one of which is relatively shiftableinto and outof mesh with the otherand mechanical means whichautomatically prevents 'the meshing of said gear wheels when' one ofthem is rotating.

2. In combination, two gear wheels,'one of which is shiftable into andout otmcsh with the other, land mechanicaly means for locking saidshiftablejgear wheel in an inoperative position upon an attempt to meshsaid gear wheels when one of them is rotating.'

3. In combination, two gear wheels, one of which is shiftable into andout of mesh with the other, and means for preventing the meshing of saidgear wheels when one of them is rotating, said means being operativeonly when said first gear wheel is shifted.

4. In combination, two gear wheels, one of which is shiftableinto andout of mesh with the other, and mechanical means for automaticallypreventing the meshing of said gear wheels when one of them` is rotatinsaid means being operative only when 5o said 'rst gear wheel is shifted.

5. In combinatioma gear wheel, a second gear wheel shiftable into andout of mesh with said first wheel, and means for preventing theengagement of said gea-r vwheels g5 when one of them is rotating, saidmeans comprising a member which engages said first gear wheel 1n advanceof said second gear wheel.

v6. In combination, a gear wheel, a second gear wheel shiftable into andout of mesh with said first gear wheel, means for shifting said secondgear wheel, and means for locking said second gear wheel in itsdisengaged position when said first' gear wheel 95 is rotating, saidmeans comprising a member which engages said first gear wheel in advanceof said second gear Wheel.

7. In combination, a/gear Wheel, a second gear wheel shiftable into andout of mesh with said first gear wheel, and means for preventing themeshing of said gear Wheels .when que of them is rotating, said meanscomprising a member mounted to reciprocate with said second gear wheel,a second 0 5 member normally out of alinement with said first member butpivotally mounted to move into the path of said first member, and meanson said second member for engaging said {irstv gear wheel. 8. Incombination, a gear wheel, a second gear wheel shiftable into and out ofmesh .with said first gear wheel, and means for preventing the meshingof said gear .wheels when one of them isrotatng, said means comprising amember mounted to rcifrocate with said second' gear Wheel, a se bndmember normally Aout of alinement with said first member butpivotally"mounted to move into thel path thereof, and'means on 32C saidsecond member for engaging said first gear wheel.

9. In a starting mechanism, the combina- 'tion with an engine shaft, agear Wheel on said shaft, a pinion-'shiftable into and out 125 of meshwith said gear wheel,A of means for preventing the meshing ofsaid pinionwith said gear wheel when said gear wheel is rotating, said meanscomprising a pivotallyv mounted member adapted to frictionally en- 131;

gage said gear wheel in advance of said pinion, and means for engagingsaid mem- 10. In a starting mechanism, the combination with two gearwheels, one of said gear wheels being shiftable into and out of meshwith the other, and means for shifting said gear wheel, of means forpreventing the meshing of said gear wheels when one of them is rotating,said 'means comprising a pivotally mounted member which engages saidsecond gear wheel in advance of said first gear wheel, 'and a membershiftable with said pinion which engages said first member when saidfirst member is rocked on its pivot.

11. ln combination, a gear wheel, a second gear wheel shiftable into andout of mesh with said first gear wheel,means for preventing the meshingof said gear wheels when said irst gear wheel is rotating, said meanscomprising a pivotally mounted member which frictionally engages saidlirst gear wheel in advance of said second gear wheel, and a secondmember normally out of alinement with said iirst member, but whichengages it when it is rocked on its pivot.

12. In a starting mechanism, the combination with an engine shaft, agear wheel on said shaft, a starting motor, a pinion operativelyconnected to said motor and shiftable into and out of mesh with saidgear wheel, and means for shifting said pinion, of a safety devicecarried by said shifting means, said device comprising two relativelymovable arms, one of said arms being reciprocally movable into the pathof the other and the second of said arms being rotatable into the pathof the first.

13. The combination witn a gear wheel and a pinion shiftable into andout of mesh therewith,.of a member shiftable with saidn pinion to engagesaid gear wheel in advance of said pinion, and means for disengagingsaid member and said gear wheel'before Sai pinion is completely in meshwith said gear wheel. u

1-1. The combination with two gear wheels, one of which is shiftableinto and out of mesh with the other, of a safety device carried by saidshifta-ble gear Wheel, said device comprising a member which engages theother of said gear wheels, and means for retracting said member upon themeshing of said gear wheels.

15. The combination with a gear Wheel and a second gear wheel shiftableinto and out of mesh therewith, of means for preventing the engagementot' said gear wheels when one of said gear wheels is rotating, saidmeans comprising a member which engages said first gear wheel, and meansfor retracting said member upon the meshing of said gear wheels.

1G. The combination with two gear wheels, one of which is relativelyshiftable into and out of mesh with the other, of means for preventingthe meshing of said gear wheels when one of them is rotating.

17. The combination with two gear wheels, one of which is relativelyshiftable into and out of mesh with the other, of means forautomatically preventing the meshing of said gear wheels when one ofthem is rotating.

In testimony whereof', I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th dayof March FRANK CONRAD. Witnesses R. E. CULLINGS, B. B. HINES.

